Constant and unpredictable daily increases in electricity prices caused major headaches for Belgian refrigeration companies in 2022.
Since the refrigeration units of cold storage facilities run on electricity, electricity - next to staff wages - is the most important cost item. The increase in wages is determined by the evolution of the consumption index, and thanks to the forecasts of the planning office, the operator of a cold store can take this into account in his costing. But if at the end of the month the electricity bill is suddenly double what he had expected, it is a disaster, since the storage cost is agreed with the customer in advance.
To protect refrigeration and freezer companies from this situation, BECOLD developed a quarterly and a monthly energy surcharge in September 2022. This surcharge is still being used.
